Uses and benefits of concrete pumping

Concrete pumping is the latest technology applied in the modern construction industry to set the concrete in all the structures ranging from high skyscrapers to the slightest convenience store. With concrete pumping, it is possible to arrange the concrete where it requires to fit.

Concrete pumping is the most convenient method for pouring concrete through a machine to transmit the liquid concrete. Normally, two basic types of pumps are utilized in concrete pumping i.e. boom pump and line pump.

Boom pump – It is self-contained unit that comprises of the frame and a truck. It is mostly applied to pour concrete in high up or difficult to arrive at the location.

Line pump – It is a portable unit that can pump structural concrete along with mortar, shotcrete, grout, wet screeds and foamed concrete.

Given below, some useful benefits of concrete pumping :-

Huge savings in time - Time is significantly reduced as the time is only required for mixing concrete and delivering to proper location.

Besides, the crew doesn’t have to make way for concrete trucks to pour the concrete to all the various locations.

Greater Productivity – The concrete pumping allows the crew members to deal with other aspects of the project since they don’t require to utilize shovels and wheelbarrows for the purpose of shifting concrete where it requires to fit.

Higher Precision – As the concrete pump expands from the truck right to the proper location the concrete is required, the entire process is error-less and precise.

This precision helps with productivity, wasted concrete because of spillage and fewer times for cleaning up.

Curtailment in labor costs – Less workers are required to set up and utilize the concrete pump as compared to the standard method of executing things. As less workers are needed, the labor cost is also reduced considerably and a more gainful project is created for the builder.

Greater employee safety – The employees needed to drive the concrete pump remain safe as compared to the employees assigned to mix and move the concrete with the conventional method.

With concrete pumping, heavy lifting is not required and as concrete moves directly to the spot, it requires less possibility for mishaps that can lead to severe injury.

Applications of concrete pump:

Residential projects similar to walls, foundations and patios.
Agricultural projects similar to sheds, barns, silos and bunkers.
Civil projects like hydro stations, water treatment plants or bridges.
Commercial or industrial projects similar to high rise buildings, ice rinks, strip malls and factories.



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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.constructioncost.co
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On site demonstration of mixing and placing concrete

In this construction video tutorial you can get live demonstration of blending and positioning of concrete in the jobsite for slab or road.

Mixing: Mixing of concrete is one of the most crucial factors for obtaining good final properties and for this purpose proper equipment should be utilized.

So, it is suggested to employ ready-mixed concrete to get the best result. Mixing allocates the aggregate uniformly during the cement paste and it makes sure that all of the cement is completely saturated in water, and eliminates large air voids.

Besides, mixing separates agglomerated clusters of cement particles and facilitates air entraining admixtures to produce the perfect air void system. Undermixing can produce large flaws and therefore leads to poor strength, whereas overmixing consumes time and energy and can demolish entrained air voids. If the workability is lower, the more mixing energy and mixing time is necessary.

Placing: As soon as the concrete is blended sufficiently, it should be placed into the formwork to determine its final position and shape. If it is required to reinforce the concrete, the rebar should have been placed properly in order that the concrete can flow around it.

If the concrete mixing truck is available adjacent to the site, then the concrete should be directly poured into the forms. If it becomes difficult, the concrete is transmitted in buckets through a crane or wheelbarrow.

If it is impossible because of the necessary distance or the size of the job, the fresh concrete has to be pumped via a system of pipes or hoses to the site with the special concrete pumps. Concrete that is to be pumped contains more severe needs for workability.

If the concrete gets too dry, it will not pump properly, whereas if it gets too wet it will have a tendency to segregate. Segregation may also happen if the concrete is poured into the formwork too rapidly, because larger aggregate particles will be subject to be pushed downward.

In slab construction, the placing has to be initiated along the perimeter at one end of the work with each batch arranged against transmitted concrete earlier. It is suggested not to dump the concrete in independent piles and then level and work them jointly; nor should it be placed in large piles and carried horizontally into final position.

Watch the following video for more details.

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.constructioncost.co

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How to calculate the amount of concrete

As soon as the planning for construction is finished and the forms are arranged, you should examine the type and amount of required concrete.

In order to measure the amount of concrete, just multiply the length of the slab with the width of the slab and divide by the exact number relating the depth from the chart provided under then round up to the next quarter yard.

Defining Mix Design

It is very important to determine the perfect mix for your job. Concrete specifications include Strength (PSI), Slump (mainly the thickness), Fiber Mesh, Chemical Additives as well as a Concrete Pump if needed. Generally 80% of all concrete poured remains 3000 Psi slab mix or 3000 psi pump mix. Other mixes range from 3000 Psi – 5000 Psi mixes, Fine Grout, C-476 Cell and Flowable Fill.

Specifications

Compressive Strength

Compressive strength is described in psi. If it contains more psi, the strength and durability will improve. Besides, the set time will be lower with the higher PSI. Usually 80% of the slabs contain will 3000 psi.

Slump

It is suggested to use a slump of 5-6 inches (+/- 1″) as a slump superior than 6″ may delay the time and one has to wait prior to finishing, specifically in cool weather. Besides, it can enhance the possibility for shrinkage cracking.

Reinforcing Wire Mesh & Fiber MeshWhile curing of concrete, the water in the concrete starts to bleed off and the slab will begin shrinking just slightly. Shrink can lead to cracks because the slab drives across the base material. These cracks are known as shrinkage crack. With use of reinforcement like wire mesh, rebar, or fibers, the cracks can’t be avoided. It can only retain the concrete organized at the time of cracking and stop parting or vertical dislocation.

So, it is very essential to place wire or fiber mesh in the slab.

Fiber mesh is applied to substitute wire mesh in most cases, apart from the first 15’ apron of a driveway. (Verify your local codes) Reinforcing wire mesh is arranged in the slab area before pouring the wire mesh is set on mesh-ups which belong to 2” plastic chairs specifically created for wire mesh. Wire that rests on the ground and is not retained in the middle of the slab by mesh-ups, will not be fruitful for shrinkage cracks. Fiber mesh is included into the mix while pouring and is simpler to use.

To read the complete article visit, carrollsbuildingmaterials.com

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.constructioncost.co

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